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HomeMy Public PortalAbout2015-11-24 minutes 1 Public Safety Committee Meeting Call to Order The November 24, 2015, Public Safety Committee meeting convened at 7:30 a.m. by Councilman Mihalevich. Attendance Present: Committee Members: Councilman Rick Mihalevich, Councilman Jim Branch, Councilman Carlos Graham, Councilman Ken Hussey and Councilman Mark Schreiber. Guests: Councilman Larry Henry, City Administrator Steve Crowell, Lincoln University Police Chief Bill Nelson, Fire Chief Matt Schofield, Police Chief Roger Schroeder, Cole County Emergency Management Coordinator Bill Farr, Public Works Operations Division Director Britt Smith, Police Captain Eric Wilde, and Firefighter Josh Young. Approval of Minutes Councilman Graham made a motion to approve the minutes of the August 27, 2015, meeting. Councilman Branch seconded the motion. Minutes were approved. Discussion of Agenda Items OLD BUSINESS None. NEW BUSINESS Phillips 66 Grant Police Captain Wilde advised Phillips 66, through their Corporate Citizenship Grant, has offered the police department $13,000 to enhance police equipment. The grant, if approved by the City Council, will be used to modernize equipment for the Emergency Operations Center/Training Room. This is a no-match grant. Councilman Hussey made a motion to forward the grant request onto the City Council for approval. Councilman Schreiber seconded the motion. Motion passed. Missouri Statewide Communications Assistant Program Grant Captain Wilde advised this no-match grant would provide the police department with two mobile radios. These radios are programmed to specifically access the Missouri Statewide Interoperability Network and enhance mobile radio communications between state and local responders. The estimated cost of each radio is $5,000. The State of Missouri will purchase the radios and provide them to the police department. Councilman Branch made a motion to forward the grant request onto the City Council for approval. Councilman Hussey seconded the motion. Motion passed. 2 Chestnut Street/Lincoln University Parking Resolution In the absence of City Counselor Hilpert, Chief Schroeder advised he has had several conversations with Lincoln University Police Chief Nelson regarding illegal parking in front of the Lincoln University Union on Chestnut Street. Mr. Hilpert has prepared a proposed ordinance which would authorize the Lincoln University Police Department (LUPD) to enforce the no parking prohibition along Chestnut Street. Chief Nelson stated LU President Rome is frustrated with the parking situation and is requesting an amended ordinance to allow LUPD to issue parking tickets on all streets that border or are within the LU campus, including Lafayette, E. Dunklin, and Locust. Chief Nelson advised that some LU faculty and staff illegally park on the streets to avoid purchasing parking permits. Public Works Operations Division Director Smith projected a map of the area for viewing. Mr. Smith advised currently the Parking Division is tasked with parking enforcement around the LU campus. Chief Nelson stated his officers are not commissioned by the City so they have limited powers of enforcement. An amended ordinance would allow LUPD officers to issue administrative summons payable to LU. Tickets issued to vehicle owners who are not affiliated with LU would be cited to City Court. Chief Schroeder and Chief Nelson are in agreement that enforcement through LUPD would hold students more accountable. Division Director Smith stated parking time limits established through the City could be enforced by both LUPD and the City. After discussion, it was suggested the proposed ordinance be rewritten by City Counselor Hilpert to include all streets adjacent or within the Lincoln University Campus, to include Atchison Way, to be enforced by Lincoln University Police Department and/or the City of Jefferson. Councilman Branch made a motion to forward the proposed ordinance, with the stated amendments discussed, to the City Council for approval. Councilman Schreiber seconded the motion. With Councilman Graham abstaining, the motion was passed. MoDOT Holiday DWI Enforcement Campaign Grant Chief Schroeder advised this is a $1,200 no-match grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation through the University of Central Missouri, for DWI enforcement to promote holiday safety. The special enforcement will run from December 18 through January 3. Although Traffic Unit officers typically perform the directed enforcement, the opportunity is open for all officers. Councilman Graham made a motion to forward the grant request to the City Council for approval. Councilman Schreiber seconded the motion. Motion passed. OTHER BUSINESS Fire Department Update Chief Schofield advised he had six items to discuss. Automatic External Defibrillators (AED) have been placed in six City areas this year: City Hall, City Hall Annex, Hyde Park at the Streets Building, Transit/Central Maintenance, Airport, and in the Fire Department Shift Supervisor vehicle. Chief Schofield would like to place AEDs in additional City areas/buildings next year. 3 The bi-fold replica doors for the Fire Department Museum have been received. They will be painted and fitted with glass. Chief Schofield hopes to have them installed before winter weather sets in. The Fire Apparatus Committee is in the process of setting out specifications for future purchases. The term “apparatus” refers to large fire trucks, including engine pumper, rescue squad and ladder trucks. Criteria includes functionality, safety and durability. Employment offers have been extended for the Assistant Fire Chief and Fire Training Officer positions. Chief Schofield anticipates those positions to be filled next week. Chief Schofield advised two firefighters are attending recruit school. Positions have been offered to two additional candidates, both of whom have had previous training. Firefighter Josh Young was introduced as the point person for recruiting and gave an overview of the current hiring process. Because testing, by ordinance, is conducted once every two years, Chief Schofield and Firefighter Young feel that length of time may cause viable candidates to drop out of the process. Because of previous budget constraints, Chief Schofield has attempted to hire candidates with experience, but that requires applicants to have completed EMT training, as well as Fire 1 and 2 programs, which is a lengthy process. Chief Schofield would like to open the hiring process on a yearly basis. New options for testing may include applicants paying their own testing fees to test at alternate locations and times. There are many testing sites available in the country. Again this year the department will open physical fitness testing for candidates a practice run before the official testing date. Chief Schofield noted that changing the frequency of testing dates from t wo years to one year may require a language change in the ordinance. Police Department Update Chief Schroeder advised he is currently in the middle of a hiring process for both police officer and communications operator positions. He is conducting second interviews with a captain in attendance. He intends to extend conditional offers of employment next week to both a police officer and communications operator candidate. He must, by ordinance, extend the conditional offer before requiring the candidate to undergo physical and psychological assessments. Chief Schroeder stated the department has returned to a single digit turnover rate. Over the years, the department has had a consistent turnover rate of approximately 8%. Currently, there are three officers attending the Law Enforcement Training Institute at the University of Missouri in Columbia. One officer is currently in the field training program. Chief Schroeder anticipates being at full staff by Christmas. Chief Schroeder asked Captain Wilde to give an update on the 911 phone upgrade. Captain Wilde stated the first phase of a three-phase upgrade plan has been completed. The phone upgrade went live on Wednesday, November 18th. This upgrade made the phone system fully redundant at the 911 facilities at the police department and Fire Station #3. There is now continuous coverage, with swell capability from 6 to 10 operators. Phase 2 will be the radio/recorder upgrade. The current system is approximately 12 years old. The radio upgrade would move communications from the push button radio to a touch screen through the use of a server stack. The upgrade to the recorder is necessary as the department is required by law to maintain recordings of calls and transmissions for a specified period of time. 4 Captain Wilde gave an update on the HVAC system installation. The first phase of the five phase project, the training room, is almost completed. The work has progressed into the second phase which includes the north side of the building. Those occupying offices in this area have been relocated throughout the building. Captain Wilde stated that with the anticipation of purchasing EOC equipment through the Missouri Statewide Communications Assistance Program Grant, wiring and data ports were installed in the training room during the HVAC renovations. Cole County Emergency Management Update Coordinator Farr advised City and Cole County staff attended Web EOC training provided through the State of Missouri. A total of 49 states now utilize online resource requests durin g emergency situations. Additional Web training will be offered next month. Captain Wilde advised that the anticipated equipment upgrade in the training room incorporates the Web EOC system. Coordinator Farr hosted an EOC management course last month. Cole County, police and fire personnel attended the training. Adjourn Councilman Mihalevich adjourned the meeting at 8:30 a.m. The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, December 31st in the City Annex Multipurpose Room.